Rules

All FIFA rules (Laws of the Game) apply with the following modifications:

SUBSTITUTIONS: Unlimited substitutions at midfield with the consent of the referee.

PLAY TIME: 30-minute halves﻿ with a 5 minute halftime.

PLAYERS: All teams must have at least 7 players at the match location and prepared to play within 15 minutes of the scheduled match time to avoid forfeit. If a minimum allowable team is not prepared to play at the end of the 15-minute grace time, forfeiture shall be issued unless otherwise decided by the tournament director in his sole discretion.

ROSTER: There is a limit of 20 players for each team roster. Changes on the final roster will be accepted at any time before the commencement of the teams’ first match. Players are only permitted to play if they are on the roster, and have signed the same. Players are allowed to play on only one team in a division.

CONFRONTATIONS: Any physical confrontation or aggression will disqualify the player or team for the rest of the tournament. All determinations will be made by the tournament director, in his discretion, with the consultation of match referees. NO EXCEPTIONS/NO REFUNDS.

TIED GAMES: During bracket play, tied games be concluded as ties at the end of regular time. During any playoff match, ties will be resolved by a series of 5 penalty shots from the 12 yard mark. If score remains tied: sudden death penalty shots. (No overtime).

RED CARD: If a player receives a red card, he/she must sit out the rest of that game and the team may not substitute for that player. The tournament director has the right to impose an additional suspension for any Red Card (e.g. for violence). Yellow Cards entail an automatic five minute cooling off period. The player may be substituted.

REFEREE: The referee has final say on the field in all matters of the game.

PLAYERS may be of any gender so long as the player meets the age requirement of their given bracket. Age is determined not by date of birth but by the calendar year of birth. This means the player must be or turn the minimum age of the bracket by December 31 of the tournament year. Age can only be questioned by the team captain or manager. If there are any questions about age, the manager of the team (not a player) should request the referee to check the player in question's ID. An age protest may only be made prior to the start of play, at the half time or immediately upon final whistle. Players are required to have government-issued photo I.D. available at the field, in case a protest is made regarding age. In the O-40, O-50 & O-60 categories, teams are allowed to have up to 2 underage players on the roster. The underage players cannot be more than 2 years younger the applicable bracket minimum. Teams that field ineligible players will be assessed an automatic 0-3 loss on all games the ineligible player took part in, and the tournament director may, in his discretion, forfeit all of the teams remaining matches (no refunds will apply).

NO SLIDING TACKLES IN THE OLDER DIVISIONS (Over 30, 0ver 40, 0ver 50 & 0ver 60). Team managers may confer with the referee prior to the game and, upon mutual consent, may amend the rule for the game being played.

TIE BREAKERS: In bracket play, wins are worth 3 points, ties 1 and losses 0. At the end of bracket play any ties in total points will be broken in the following order: Head to head, goal differential, goals for, goals against, red cards (least!), a penalty shootout.

Any breach in the rules or requirements may result in a team’s forfeiture. Rules grievances may be lodged with the tournament director at any time. The Tournament Director has discretion and final say in all rules and conduct matters.

TOURNAMENT PRIZE MONEY: Teams playing in divisions where prize money is awarded are required to stay in tournament hotels.